Set in stone

While the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the Mamallapuram stone sculptures is a cause for celebration, there is a lot that needs to be done, before the local artisans and customers benefit from the prestigious label.

Located at a considerable distance from the city, Mamallapuram is a popular haunt for not only the city’s residents, but also many tourists, attracted by the rich plethora of ancient stone sculptures in the UNESCO World Heritage site. En route to the famous Pancha Rathas, a fine example of monolithic architecture from the Pallava dynasty, visitors are greeted by the sight of numerous shops displaying exquisite stone sculptures, dotting the roadside. Large-scale Ganesha idols sit next to stone figures of the Buddha and other deities, in all shapes, catering to all budgets. It is for this sculpture work that the GI tag was awarded to Mamallapuram.

The GI tag has been granted for the “techniques used in these historic pieces of art still practised by the present sculptors of Mamallapuram. The sculpting is reminiscent of the Pallava art of stone sculpting conforming to the various kinds of sculpting that can be found in Mamallapuram and the exceptional skill of the sculptors lie in the fact that they can reproduce and replicate the complex pieces of art and architecture exhibited by the ancient Pallavas even today,” stated the GI application.

Read More: Pallava style sculptures, a rarity these days

Explaining the significance, Santhosh Babu, Chairman and Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation (TNHDC), which applied for the GI tag, said, “The GI tag extends to stone sculptures made in Mamallapuram, including those which are replicas of the Pallava style stone sculptures, which Mamallapuram is famous for.

The GI tag will help the artisans and the customers.” However, the official added that there is a need for pro-active measures, after the GI tag. “The post-GI measures, which so far have been sluggish, are being implemented.

This includes registering artisans into our network and promoting the product actively.

We are doing this by starting with a twoday workshop organised for officials and artisans registered with us, conducted by Textiles Committee, Government of India.The idea is to ensure that if a tourist visits the Arjuna’s Penance and wants a souvenir, he/she can take back an authentic product. The GI tag will create a huge market for the artisans, but it will also attract counterfeiters. We need to develop ways to promote authenticity of the GI-tag products – perhaps a standard or hallmark which exists for buying gold,” said the CMD.